Bruce Arians, the Super Bowl-winning former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, shared an important health update this week, letting fans know he’s preparing for open heart surgery.
The 73-year-old coaching veteran took to social media to clarify details about the upcoming procedure, which is scheduled for February 6. Arians emphasized that the surgery is a common one and something he and his doctors have been monitoring for years. According to Arians, it’s the right time to address the issue so he can “be as good as new back on the golf course ASAP.”
That’s classic B.A.-straightforward, optimistic, and already eyeing his next tee time.
Arians first revealed the news during an appearance on NBC’s Today show, where he was joined by former Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski to promote a Super Bowl ad campaign focused on prostate cancer screenings. It’s a cause close to Arians’ heart-he’s a prostate cancer survivor himself. And even in the midst of preparing for heart surgery, he’s using his platform to raise awareness and encourage others to get screened.
During the segment, Today host Craig Melvin wished Arians well ahead of the procedure, noting that he’d likely be watching the Super Bowl from a hospital room. Arians responded with his trademark dry humor, saying, “Yeah, hopefully the snowstorm doesn’t stop me from getting to Philly because … open heart surgery next Friday.”
That blend of honesty and light-heartedness is part of what’s made Arians such a beloved figure in the NFL community.
Arians’ football journey is one of the most respected in the game. Born in Paterson, New Jersey, and raised in York, Pennsylvania, he played quarterback at York High before moving on to Virginia Tech. From there, he launched a coaching career that spanned nearly five decades, beginning in 1975.
He made his mark as an offensive coordinator with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts, and stepped in as interim head coach for the Colts in 2012 when Chuck Pagano underwent treatment for leukemia. That season, Arians led the team to a 9-3 record in Pagano’s absence-an incredible run that earned him AP Coach of the Year honors.
He later took over as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals from 2013 to 2017, leading them to a 13-3 record and an NFC Championship Game appearance in 2015. After a brief retirement, Arians returned to the sidelines in 2019 to coach the Buccaneers. Two years later, he guided Tampa Bay to a dominant Super Bowl LV victory over the Kansas City Chiefs-becoming the oldest head coach to win a Super Bowl at the time.
Along the way, Arians became known not just for his offensive brilliance and aggressive play-calling, but for his leadership style-bold, unfiltered, and fiercely loyal to his players and staff. He built diverse coaching staffs, championed second chances, and never shied away from doing things his own way.
He also played a key role in two Super Bowl wins with the Steelers in 2005 and 2008, serving as wide receivers coach and later offensive coordinator under Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin.
Now, as he prepares for this next personal challenge, the outpouring of support from across the football world has been strong. And knowing Arians, he’ll tackle this with the same grit and determination that defined his coaching career.
Here’s to a successful surgery and a speedy recovery-and hopefully, a few good rounds of golf on the other side.